In accordance with requirements of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act (OPLMA) of 2009, the BLM Boise District (BDO) is initiating development of a single Travel Management Plan (TMP) for the portion of Owyhee County located within the BDO.

Section 1507(a) of the OPLMA states that "…the Secretary shall…prepare 1 or more travel management plans for motorized and mechanized off-highway vehicle recreation for the land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the County." Section 1507(c) of the OPLMA also states that "…the plan shall limit recreational motorized and mechanized off-highway vehicle use to a system of designated roads and trails until a TMP is completed for Owyhee County, Section 1507(d) of the OPLMA restricts all recreational, motorized and mechanized off-highway vehicle use to roads and trails lawfully in existence on the day before the date of enactment of the OPLMA on March 29, 2009.

The decisions from the existing Hemingway, Wilson Creek and Murphy travel plans will be incorporated into this TMP and, therefore, will not be reviewed during this process.

The BLM hosted public scoping meetings in October and November 2010 to provide the public an opportunity to review the route maps that will be used as the basis for developing the final Travel Management Plan (TMP). Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation also sent a letter to registered ATV, OHV, and motorcycle owners in the State, soliciting more input and involvement from their constituents. While these efforts collected information on the location, level, and type of use, the BLM hopes to improve upon our understanding of the issues and concerns the public would like addressed. Please stay involved as we progress through this planning effort.

If you have not yet taken the opportunity to provide information, please refer to our websitefor downloadable planning maps, instructions on how to comment, and frequently asked questions about this process.

Owyhee County is located in southwest Idaho and contains approximately 2.8 million acres of BLM-administered public land within the Boise District. The portion of Owyhee County affected by this planning effort is bounded on the west by Oregon, on the south by Nevada and the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, on the north by the Snake River, and on the east by the Bruneau River. Most of the public land in this area occurs in large blocks, with only a few scattered or isolated parcels.

BLM expects to complete route inventory, criteria identification, and alternative development by the end of 2012. Public scoping of alternatives and public review of a draft plan is slated to begin in early 2013, with a final plan expected to be completed by the end of 2013.